DALLAS (February 11, 2012) — In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting ™, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that elevated levels of cell-free DNA in the first trimester do not predict the subsequent development of preeclampsia.

"I wanted to identify if elevated levels of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal blood early in pregnancy could identify women at risk for the subsequent development of preeclampsia. I found that there is no significant difference in levels of total or free fetal DNA in the first trimester in women who subsequently develop preeclampsia," said Bob Silver, MD, with the University of Utah Health Sciences Center and Intermountain Healthcare, Obstetrics and Gynecology, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Silver conducted the study, entitled First Trimester Free Fetal DNA in The Maternal Circulation as a Predictor of Preeclampsia.